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I have had my first session with the trackers and they don't seem to be working or at least only intermittently.
I am using the tracker with Android (v7 on phone and v6 on tablet), using the DroneSquad app and the Unify Race VTx. Initially, I was having a lot of issues with bluetooth connectivity but I saw the video about elevating and having the antenna face the correct way. Did that and managed to get better Bluetooth connectivity. That should really have been communicated in a manual or at least in that short blurb on the box. Would have saved me so much grief initially

Next comes the actual usage of the tracker. I connected the tracker in DroneSquad, started a time trial and started flying but nothing happens. The app says the tracker is running but the tracker itself doesn't show the "center green, ring off" status and passing the tracker multiple times would not give me a timing at all. So I tried just walking my quad to see if it would start tracking, started a new time trial and it somehow had the "center green, ring off" status. Walk a few laps and managed to get some times. I thought brilliant, let's try flying now. I got ONE flying time trial that worked. Every other further attempts got me nothing. I tried it with 3 different trackers and they gave me the same result. Nothing.

Also, long pressing the center button would never put the tracker in pairing mode. I had to turn the tracker off, turn the bluetooth on my device off before I can get the tracker to re-enter pairing mode.

I have tried uninstalling the DroneSquad and reinstalling it. Still doesn't do anything.

So in all in all, not a very positive first experience with it to be honest.

Thanks for this feedback. To be honest, the range issues were not anticipated. We get very good range here, 50+ meters. I know this doesnt help you, just trying to say this is not what we expected the product and I'd be more than happy to jump on a skype call and debug these problems together with you to more clearly understand what's going on.

for the lack of time tracking, there can be 2 issues ... since you have walked the track and got laptimes, it means the tracker frontend is working... but:

1) the RF calibration values could be off, causing a bad trigger threshold. this means the drone won't get picked up while flying. while walking, you are more likely to get picked up as you are reflecting and bouncing signals all over the place (off your body). try calibrating for a whole gate size (place tracker to one side of gate, drone to other side of gate, hit CALIBRATE, and wait around 10 seconds).
2) the tracker is currently fixed to a 10 second minimum laptime. if you are flying laptimes that are shorter than that, they will not get picked up.

long press to the center button only turns on the tracker. any press after that will turn it off. to re-enter pairing mode, this is the fastest way if something went wrong in the process.

Yappy, same offer for you. send me an email, let's jump on skype and we'll walk through the problems. As with every product that we launch, we are trying the best we can to understand any issues that come up so that we can assist correctly.

HI.. question on charging. I have had mine on USB charge now over night. ( Both with wall pack, or USB on computer) Unit is still flashing Red center.. never green.. When I pair it , shows 89%, or if plugged into USB then says 95%.. is a computer USB sufficient voltage to charge this to full capacity? or is there some other charger we should be using.. and if so, shouldn't it come with one ? Thanks ! Other then that, the unit seems to function as intended.. Haven't had the chance to fly with it yet.. but did simple test of pairing it in the house.. then simulated laps by standing near it with the quad and plugging in and unplugging by VTX power.. at a interval of over 10 Sec.. ( PS, hope that we can change this soon as some might have lap times under 10 sec) Thanks !

I have since replaced the antenna with the one given in the package. Will be testing it again sometime to see if I can get better range. Because initially, I was under the impression that the tracker would be placed beneath the gate on the ground and not elevated and at the side. The videos helped to illustrate this but like I said, you'll probably want to put it up somewhere more visible about the placement of the tracker.

I know about the minimum 10s part so was very careful to make sure that I wasn't crossing it too early. I did a quick test in my home and I seem to get it to work on my tablet running Android v6 while the phone running Android v7 doesn't want to work. Will be doing more testing sometime soon.

I hope to have some time to test it this Friday evening. I might take you up on that Skype call if I encounter any issues. PM coming your way.

HI.. question on charging. I have had mine on USB charge now over night. ( Both with wall pack, or USB on computer) Unit is still flashing Red center.. never green.. When I pair it , shows 89%, or if plugged into USB then says 95%.. is a computer USB sufficient voltage to charge this to full capacity? or is there some other charger we should be using.. and if so, shouldn't it come with one ? Thanks ! Other then that, the unit seems to function as intended.. Haven't had the chance to fly with it yet.. but did simple test of pairing it in the house.. then simulated laps by standing near it with the quad and plugging in and unplugging by VTX power.. at a interval of over 10 Sec.. ( PS, hope that we can change this soon as some might have lap times under 10 sec) Thanks !

It's pretty easily explained When you charge it up to ~100%, and then turn it on, the power consumption of the device lowers the voltage just so slightly that it shows 89%. We could compensate for that in the future. It's actually "fully charged", it just thinks the voltage is too low due to the current draw on the battery. "min-laptime other than 10s" update is expected to drop in 1 week.

Originally Posted by Steve Pritchard

One other issue, when I scan for the unit.. it sees it.. but just lists it at TBS Race Tracker not a special name.

Hey Trappy, thanks for the reply. I realize that that would happen. What am saying it it NEVER gets to 100% I had it on charger over night, and it still was flashing Red in the AM.. I thought I read some place that when its fully charge, the flashing red changes to green. SO I was wondering if this needs to be charged with a higher voltage wall pack or something . I will contact customer service for both issues.. Thanks !

Originally Posted by Trappy

It's pretty easily explained When you charge it up to ~100%, and then turn it on, the power consumption of the device lowers the voltage just so slightly that it shows 89%. We could compensate for that in the future. It's actually "fully charged", it just thinks the voltage is too low due to the current draw on the battery. "min-laptime other than 10s" update is expected to drop in 1 week.

So I tried to use the Race Tracker today, but I didn't have good cell service and I could not use the Drone Squad app to do any timing. I talked to Pete from DS and he said the app requires internet connectivity to work... really. We didn't even have good service in Hawaii at World's let alone up here in the woods where I live. @Trappy is the TBS app going to work the same way? Hopefully not.

I just received the Race Tracker and it included an "extra" antenna, but like others when I open the case there is no obvious place for that antenna to connect, can someone explain why I would need to replace whatever is already connected and where it actually connects ? The manual which is difficult to find, unlike other TBS products there is no link on the product page does not show where to connect this.

I just received the Race Tracker and it included an "extra" antenna, but like others when I open the case there is no obvious place for that antenna to connect, can someone explain why I would need to replace whatever is already connected and where it actually connects ? The manual which is difficult to find, unlike other TBS products there is no link on the product page does not show where to connect this.

I guess there were some QC problems with the antennas and some might not work as well as they could, so they included the extra antenna if the stock one doesn't work properly. It connects to the board with a U.Fl connector.